![]() ![]() Though the highlights of the festival are the three main stage nights, St Lucia Jazz is truly a national affair, almost akin to a Carnival. The not-so-young will revel in oldies from George Benson, Air Supply, and Kool and the Gang, while those with more eclectic tastes can take in Dominican creole band Kassav’ and Latin sensation Marc Anthony. For the young, there’s Jamaican sensation Omi of “Cheerleader” fame and dancehall star Shaggy. 2016’s lineup will feature the likes of BWB, jazz guitarist Chris Standring, child prodigy pianist Joey Alexander, jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison, and St Luician jazz guitarist Ronald “Boo” Hinkson, among others.Īnd considering the diverse audience of tourists from all over the world, including nearby Caribbean islands, the festival organisers cater to all tastes and age groups. And in 2016, the festival once more offers a little something for everyone - but with a decided return to its jazz roots. ![]() When it comes to international artistes, St Lucia has seen practically all the big names in jazz, R&B, and world music - Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, James Ingram, Angelique Kidjo, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, the Commodores, Herbie Hancock, Hugh Masekela, the O’Jays, Harry Belafonte, Mary J Blige, and Al Green are just a few. And if nothing else, the festival is fertile ground for St Lucian artistes to show their skills to the world, as some of the bigger Lucian acts open for the international headliners each of the three nights. Performances are kept to schedule, and the gaps during the changes in artistes on the centre stage are filled with performances from a local band on a side stage, so there is never a lull. Whether there is one patron in the audience or one hundred, the anthem strikes up and the show begins at the time advertised. St Lucia Jazz is a well-oiled production. Patrons walk with blankets and folding chairs and sit wherever they choose to enjoy the musical fare.Ģ016 marks twenty-five years since the St Lucia Tourist Board launched this event, and the experience shows. The main stage is now nestled on the northern side, at the bottom of the grassy hill. With the final weekend of what is now the St Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival staged on scenic and historic Pigeon Island, the festival layout resembles exactly what you think of when you imagine a music festival on a Caribbean island. Barbadian jazz saxophonist Arturo Tappin tantalised the ladies as he weaved his way through those sitting on the lawn to take in the action. R&B crooner Robin Thicke jumped into a swarm of screaming girls, while hip-hop star turned EDM artiste Flo Rida perched atop the fence, posing for selfies with his teenage fans. No chainlink fences or ugly barricades in sight: the audience is separated from the stage merely by Framelock barriers, tall enough to keep the crowd at bay but short enough to encourage artiste interaction. Fast-forward thirteen years to the 2015 edition, and I realise that interactivity is one of the allures of St Lucia’s flagship festival. The next day, India.Arie’s eyes made four with mine and she smiled as I sang along with her.īack then, I put my unforgettable interactions on Pigeon Island down to media privilege. ![]() The first time I attended the St Lucia Jazz Festival, back in 2002, British jazz musician Courtney Pine jumped off the stage, and just as my journalistic instincts kicked into high gear to see the lucky patron he was aiming for, he swooped me up in his arms to dance. Jazz for the people Laura Dowrich on how St Lucia Jazz, celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, brings artists and audiences close together
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